Kornacki: Beyond Statistics, National POY Romero Wins by Leading
6/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 1, 2016
By Steve Kornacki
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Sierra Romero is the greatest softball player the University of Michigan has had, and is one of the Top 10 players the game has ever produced. Statistics, rather than opinion, make those statements very clear.
She's a leader in far more than numbers, though.
Romero leads the Wolverines both on and off the field as a two-time captain, and she has regularly led them to the Promised Land. No. 2 Michigan (51-5) is playing in the Women's College World Series for the third time in her four seasons, and opens Thursday night (June 2) against No. 10 LSU.
The Wolverines missed the Elite Eight tournament in OKC only in Romero's sophomore season of 2014, but she went to the USA Softball Player of the Year banquet that year as one of three finalists.
When the talented second baseman recently received the invitation for the third straight year, she needed to discuss something pertaining to that with Michigan coach Carol Hutchins.
"Hutch called me into her office," said Romero, "and obviously we didn't want to think we wouldn't be here as a team. But, just in case, I had to make a decision because they had to figure out flights and things.
"I'd come here as a sophomore without my team, and felt out of place and just felt weird. And it isn't an award you win by yourself; it's because of your teammates. I decided to go and represent Michigan if we ended up not making it, but it would've been really hard without my team here. I really didn't want to, but out of respect for USA Softball, which has done so much for me, I was going to go.
"I just wanted to make sure my team was here, too. It's a good thing we made sure this happened. Like I said in my speech, 'This isn't my award, it's my team's award.' "
Romero, after watching somebody else win the top prize the last two years, claimed USA Softball Player of the Year Tuesday night (May 31), becoming the first Wolverine to win it.
"It was like I was holding my breath all day," said Romero, back in the lobby of the team's downtown hotel minutes after the awards banquet. "My teammates were voicing their support, saying, 'You've got it.' But I really tried to not think about it. I was just relieved. I could finally breathe and not be so nervous. The other two times I've been here, it wasn't me who got called.
"It was so weird that I got up there for the third time, and this time it was in my favor. It's really cool, but I don't feel like I've done anything by getting this award. I never would've gotten this award without my teammates, and it hasn't been my focus. We've had different focuses at different points of the year, and now the focus is the national championship."
The winner of the Michigan-LSU game advances to play the winner of Oklahoma-Alabama Friday night (June 3), and it will be quite a story if it's the Wolverines and Sooners.
Sydney Romero, Oklahoma's freshman sensation third baseman, is Sierra's younger sister.
"I'm excited that it's my senior year and I get to finish it at the World Series and I can top my sister there, too," said Sierra. "Her team's doing great and I love watching them play. So, I'm excited to be there with my family. They're all going to be there, and it's going to be fun."
Left: Romero celebrates with the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year trophy // Right: Romero with her sister, Sydney
Their mother, Melissa Romero, who has photos of both daughters hugging in their USA Softball uniforms on her Twitter page, attended Michigan's NCAA Super Regional games.
"It's such a blessing, No. 1," said Melissa of having Sierra and Sydney in the Series. "And it feels so, so, so surreal. Once I get there and see them both playing on that big stage, the place they both have worked to reach for so long, and to have them competing with each other or possibly against each other, is going to be pretty cool.
"We didn't want to jinx it before they made it, but we have a friend who makes shirts, and we're hoping that he can get some shirts made for them before we leave. We're going to get their photographs on them."
Sydney was recruited by the Wolverines, but she decided to choose her own path. Coming to Michigan would've meant trying to live up to a legend.
Sierra scored her 300th career run in the Super Regional victory over Missouri on Saturday (May 28), and she got it with a deft slide around catcher Kirsten Mack before getting the plate with her hand.
That allowed her to create the 300-300-300 Club as the first NCAA player to hit that number in runs, RBI (304) and hits (301).
"I had no idea about these things until people Tweet it or my parents say something," said Romero. "I don't like to focus or think about it because I never want to be the player who focuses on trying to break records.
"I'm just trying to win softball games. So, when I saw it, I thought it was cool. But me having that record isn't going to win a national championship."
Romero would rather be known as a captain of the greatest team of 2016 than the greatest player her school has known.
But she's definitely that, too.
Romero has scored 46 more runs in her career than anyone else, and classmate Sierra Lawrence (254 runs) is second.
Romero has knocked in 85 more runs than anyone, and Samantha Findlay (2005-08) is second.
Romero's batting average of .444 is followed by .389 from Traci Conrad (1996-99), and her .889 slugging percentage dwarfs the .677 that Findlay, an All-America first baseman, posted as a truly formidable hitter.
She also has had more home runs (82) by a margin of 20 over Findlay, and the most walks (222) by 44 over Dorian Shaw (2008-11).
Romero holds the NCAA record with 300 runs and 11 grand slams, and is fourth all-time in both RBI and slugging percentage, while rating eighth in homers and walks. So, those rankings support the four-time All-American's right to be among the game's 10 best players ever.
The only major school career hitting mark that will elude Romero is hits, where she's 44 behind Conrad's total of 345. However, all those walks contributed to her not having a real shot at that mark, unless she could've hit .500 for her career -- which, by the way, was a goal Romero had for this season.
Romero actually hit .500 on the nose this year in Big Ten games, going 30-for-60 with 22 walks.
She enters the WCWS batting .465 with 19 homers and 78 RBI with a .916 slugging percentage and .585 on-base percentage.
When pressed about which records mean the most to her, Romero said on-base percentage because getting on gives her a chance to score thanks to a teammate, and RBI because she's scoring teammates.
What, above all, is she proudest of from her four years at Michigan?
"I think just the woman I've become since my freshman year," said Romero, who is from Murrieta, California. "I'm getting my degree in general studies from an amazing university, and I'll be the second person in my family with a college degree. I'll play softball as long as I can, and really hope to get into sports broadcasting.
"My parents have raised me to be confident, and coming to this university taught me how to handle pressure situations and succeed both academically and professionally. And playing for Hutch -- she's just been amazing and the perfect role model."
After signing autographs for fans following Sunday's wild, come-from-behind Super Regional clincher over Missouri, Romero was asked about playing her last game at home, where she was such a fan favorite.
"It hasn't even sunk in yet that that was my last game at Alumni Field in a Michigan jersey," said Romero. "I don't know when it's going to hit me. I don't think it'll really hit me until my last game (in OKC).
"But I've had a blast. That was an amazing game to finish my career at Alumni Field on, and that's something I'll always remember. I'll never forget that game: the feeling I had in my chest, in my gut, I'll remember everything about that game."
Romero knocked in one of the four runs the Wolverines scored in the seventh inning to erase a three-run deficit to triumph over the Tigers.
It was such a great game that nobody wanted to leave. Jehu Chesson, the MVP of Michigan's football team, is a huge fan of the team, and was still there more than one hour after the final out. Chesson leaned back and took a selfie with Romero being interviewed right behind him.
That was some way to exit your home field for the final time.
One more national tournament remains, though, and Romero knows how she wants to ride off into the sunset after this one.
"I'm excited," said Romero. "Lucky for me, this is my third time at the World Series. I know the atmosphere and what it's going to be like, and it's one of the most amazing stages to play on.
"I'm so happy that my career is going to be ending here in Oklahoma City. This team is so special that I wouldn't want to end it any other way."
• Romero Named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (May 31, 2016)
